Heat City

A federal grand jury is examining possible criminal charges against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, according to reports by two Phoenix television stations.

KPHO (Channel 5) and KPNX (Channel 12) both reported during their evening broadcasts that a grand jury is looking into accusations that Arpaio has abused his law enforcement power with criminal investigations of critics and political foes. The sheriff’s No. 2 man, Chief Deputy David Hendershott, is also targeted in the investigation, KPNX reported.

The stations said two of Maricopa County’s top appointed officials, County Manager David Smith and County Budget Director Sandi Wilson, received subpoenas to appear before the grand jury next week.

The move represents a significant step forward in at least one of multiple investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, some of which have been ongoing since the Bush Administration.

Arpaio’s office did not respond to Heat City’s request for comment on the latest report. But in the past, the sheriff has taunted critics, telling them to “call the FBI, call the FBI” and saying he didn’t believe the feds would act.

But a grand jury shows federal officials believe they have enough evidence to charge Arpaio, and possibly other sheriff’s officials, with a crime. Grand juries are made up of citizens who decide whether investigators have collected enough evidence to charge someone with a crime.

Smith and Wilson have clashed with the sheriff’s office in the past, including limiting the Arpaio’s spending and budget.

Both have also become targets of a wide-ranging criminal investigation by the sheriff’s and county attorney’s offices, which has gone after at least 14 county officials and resulted in criminal charges against three of them.

Smith and Wilson are not among the officials who have been charged with crimes.

Update: The Arizona Republic is reporting that three of the sheriff’s own men have testified before a federal grand jury sometime in the past four months, but the nature of their testimony is unclear.

Arpaio told the Republic his office would continue doing business as usual. “We’re just going to continue doing our job and our investigations that we have in progress.”

Update 2: KTVK (Channel 3) has also confirmed the subpoenas and talked to one witness, who said testimony would focus on Arpaio’s “reign of terror.” The video is posted above.